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Sunday, February 4, 2018

Type 2 Nutrition #418: “The dose makes the poison”

The surprising popularity of “Triglycerides and Alcohol
Consumption,”
written obliquely several years ago for the benefit of my brother, gave me
pause to contemplate how many others out there were interested in the subject.
Unbelievably it was the #4 all-time favorite in the Readership Statistics list
of “10 Most Popular” posts. Coincidentally, but in a completely
different context, I read in another blog recently that, “The dose makes the
poison.” This syzygy, a conjunction reflective of last year’s solar eclipse, thus
provided a topic to write about.

Alcohol consumption, perhaps to excess, runs in my
family. My father was probably, and my mother possibly, alcoholic. I have a
drink almost every day. Some define alcoholism as the habit of drinking alcohol
every day.

Since I began a 3-consecutive-day, modified fasting
routine about a year ago, drinking a glass of wine has been part of my “fast”
day routine. On “My Modified Fasting Plan,” on fasting days I make
“supper” one red wine spritzer (5oz of red wine with 8 ounces of club soda), to
take my evening pills. On non-fasting days, I double the dose. This “allowance”
for alcohol is pleasing to me and, I know, to others who enjoy a drink (or two).

Unless we have company who also enjoy a drink before
dinner, at home I don’t drink ethyl alcohol (“spirits”). And these days, as we
get older, “company” happens less and less. In a restaurant, which we do about
once a week, I usually have a cocktail or two, depending on the bartender. A
few make them as strong as I do at home. Most do not, in which case I have two.
Just once,
at lunch with my editor and her husband in Nashville, I actually ordered three. I swear they were watered down…which is how I get to “the dose makes
the poison.”

Paracelus, (1493-1541), a Swiss
scientist and son of a doctor, is credited with this adage “intended to
indicate a basic principle of toxicology” (Wikipedia). He is generally credited as the “father of toxicology.” He
told doctors to “study nature and develop personal experience through experiment” and thus to “emphasize
the value of observation in combination with received wisdom.” This leads in
turn to the concept of Hormesis.

More
Wikipedia: “Hormesis is any process in an… organism [like you and me]
that exhibits a biphasic response to exposure to increasing amounts of a
substance or condition.” The “biphasic” conditions are “stimulation” and
“inhibition.” Wiki continues, “The hermetic zone [is] generally a favorable
biological response to low exposure to toxins and others stressors.” [I
generally have a “favorable biological response” to one or even two glasses of
wine or a “well-made” drink.[ “A pollution or toxin showing Hormesis thus has
the opposite effect in small doses as in large doses.” This effect has been
shown with stressors like fasting and exercise.

I wrote about “Calorie
Restriction and Longevity” and “Calorie
Restrition in Humans” years ago. W/r/t exercise, Wiki states, “Individuals
with low
levels of physical activity are at risk for high levels of oxidative stress, as
are individuals engaged in highly intensive exercise programs;
however, individuals engaged in moderately intensive, regular
exercise experience lower levels of oxidative stress. High levels of oxidative
stress have been linked by some with an increased incidence of a variety of
diseases.” (all my emphases).

“Alcohol is believed to be
hermetic in preventing heart disease and stroke, although the benefits of light
drinking may have been exaggerated,” Wiki avers. But, “in 2012, researchers at
UCLA found that tiny amounts… of ethanol doubled the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans, a round worm
frequently used in biological studies.” At least all of our taxpayer money isn’t being wasted on useless scientific
research!!!

Wiki
admits, though, “The biochemical mechanisms by which Hormesis works are not well
understood.” And they conclude, “Hormesis remains largely unknown to the public.”
But Paracelus has shown me how to manage the “stimulation” part: “study [your] nature and develop personal experience through experiment.” My personal interpretation: At home, be disciplined
and adhere strictly to protocol. With guests, cater to their wishes. In a restaurant,
choose your bartender carefully, and remember always, “The dose makes the
poison.”

About Me

I was diagnosed a Type 2 diabetic in 1986. I started a Very Low Carb diet (Atkins Induction) in 2002 to lose weight. I didn’t realize at the time that it would put my diabetes in clinical remission, or that I would be able to give up almost all of my oral diabetes meds. I also didn’t understand that, as I lost weight and continued to eat Very Low Carb, my blood lipids would dramatically improve (doubling my HDL and cutting my triglycerides by 2/3rds) and that my blood pressure would drop from 130/90 to 110/70 on the same meds.
Over the years I changed from Atkins to the Bernstein Diet (designed for diabetics) and, altogether lost 170 pounds. I later regained some and then lost some. As long as I eat Very Low Carb, I am not hungry and I have lots of energy. And I no longer have any of the indications of Metabolic Syndrome.
My goal, as long as I have excess body fat, is to remain continuously in a ketogenic state, both for blood glucose regulation and continued weight loss. I expect that this regimen will continue to provide the benefits of reduced systemic inflammation, improved blood lipids and lower blood pressure as well.